The Georgia House rejected a bill Monday that would have allowed prosecutors to charge dog owners with felonies when their animals cause serious injuries or kill.

House Bill 717 sailed through committee in part because of several high-profile dog attacks in Georgia in the past year.

But the proposal failed 82-73 in a floor vote, with opponents voicing concerns about owners facing a year in jail for attacks.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Penny Houston, R-Nashville, said she will ask for reconsideration Wednesday. That is Crossover Day, the last day a bill can typically clear one chamber in time for consideration in the other.

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, seen here at a rally for President Donald Trump in Macon in 2024, is a key vote for the president's tax and spending bill as it heads back to the House. (
Ben Gray for the AJC)

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

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